In the Blood: QB Cat

The win by QB Cat and Equi-Stat Elite $4 Million Rider Clint Allen at the Mercuria/National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) World Series of Cutting held in conjunction with the Calgary Stampede moved them up the top 10 in pursuit of the NCHA Open World Championship. Their Calgary Stampede earnings of $13,330 added to their totals for the year to put them third at this point in the NCHA Open Top Ten standings.

QB Cat carried Clint Allen to a 225 to win the Mercuria/NCHA Open World Series of Cutting event held at the Calgary Stampede. • Photo by James Hudyma

QB Cat (High Brow Cat x Quintan Blue x Mecom Blue) is a 2008 gelding bred by Marvine Ranch LLC and owned by David and Stacie McDavid. A review of QB Cat’s pedigree personifies the adage “breed the best to the best to get the best.”

Sire Line

High Brow Cat (High Brow Hickory x Smart Little Kitty x Smart Little Lena) brings alive the “best of the best” as the all-time leading sire of cutting horses with get earnings exceeding $74 million. The earnings of horses like Dont Look Twice ($850,628), Metallic Cat ($637,711), Boon San Kitty ($555,504) and High Brow CD ($543,161) show the power of this stallion as a sire of cutting horses.

A look at the pedigree of High Brow Cat shows he is well-bred, as he is a son of High Brow Hickory ($222,959), an NCHA Futurity Open Reserve Champion sired by Doc’s Hickory (Doc Bar x Miss Chickasha x Chickasha Mike). Doc’s Hickory is the No. 9 all-time leading sire of cutting horses with get earnings of more than $21 million.

High Brow Hickory, the sire of the legendary High Brow Cat, is out of Grulla San, a daughter of Leo San Hank. • Photo by John Brasseaux

The dam of High Brow Hickory is Grulla San (Leo San Hank x Blackburn 36 x Poco Nino). Her sire, Leo San Hank, is by Leo San, the sire of Peppy San. Peppy San Badger is sired by Mr San Peppy and out of Sugar Badger. The mare Blackburn 36 was shown as a yearling, winning four of her six halter classes. She is a granddaughter of Poco Bueno through her sire Poco Nino. Poco Nino is out of Patsy Buck, by Pretty Buckm by Pretty Boy. Blackburn 36’s dam was Lady Black 62, by Blackburn.

The blood of Doc Bar, Leo San, Poco Bueno, Pretty Boy and Blackburn in High Brow Hickory brings together the bloodlines that form the base of the modern cutting horse through less traditional lines to these great individuals. This allows for line breeding to the common ancestors through a variety of individuals sired by or out of these common ancestors. A breeder is able to take advantage of putting together a wider variety of genes from the common ancestors that form the foundation of the pedigree.

Smart Little Kitty (Smart Little Lena x Doc’s Kitty x Doc Bar) is an unshown mare who carries her Doc Bar, Poco Bueno, Leo San, Royal King and Blackburn blood in a little more traditional way through her sire. Smart Little Lena is by Doc O’Lena (Doc Bar x Poco Lena x Poco Bueno). Poco Lena is out of Sheilwin (Pretty Boy x Mare By Blackburn x Blackburn). His dam is Smart Peppy (Peppy San x Royal Smart x Royal King). All are common names in today’s cutting horse pedigrees.

Doc’s Kitty is out of Kitty Buck, by Pretty Buck, by Pretty Boy. The dam of Doc’s Kitty is Miss Peppy D, by Pep Up. Pep Up is the broodmare sire of Peppy San and Mr San Peppy, bringing in some of this bloodline from the dam side of these great sires. Again, it provides a different form of these bloodlines, giving the pedigree more variety in the genes from the common ancestors.

Dam Line

Quintan Blue, pictured at the 2007 NCHA Summer Spectacular with Roger Wagner, earned more than $600,000 as a performer. • Photo by Don Shugart

Quintan Blue (Mecom Blue x Quiolena x CD Olena) brings her own form of “the best of the best” as one of the best of her generation. She was an NCHA Futurity Open Reserve Champion and followed that up with championships in the NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro, NCHA Summer Spectacular Derby Non-Pro and NCHA Summer Spectacular Classic/Challenge Open. She retired with earnings of $609,139.

Quintan Blue’s foals have earnings of $850,671, according to Equi-Stat. Her leading money-winner is Blue One Time ($255,386), followed by Cat Man Blue ($197,581), Blu Ray ($129,574) and QB Cat, whose earnings are now nearly $119,000.
Mecom Blue (Haidas Little Pep x Royal Blue Boon x Boon Bar) was a major aged-event finalist at shows such as the NCHA Summer Spectacular and the Abilene Spectacular. He earned $19,071. Mecom Blue has sired earners of more than $3.7 million, including Laredo Blue ($301,006), the 2004 NCHA Horse of the Year.

Mecom Blue is the broodmare sire of 45 money-earners that have earned $1,366,775. A look at the top five money-earners shows four of them are out of Quintan Blue, including Blue One Time, Cat Man Blue, Blu Ray and QB Cat.

Haidas Little Pep (Peppy San Badger x Doc’s Haida x Doc Bar) was the 1983 NCHA Futurity Open Reserve Champion under Buster Welch and an NCHA Open Reserve World Champion. His foals have Equi-Stat records totaling more than $9.7 million. His leading money-earner is Snackbox ($205,212).

Royal Blue Boon is the top cutting horse producer of all time. • Photo by John Brasseaux

Royal Blue Boon (Boon Bar x Royal Tincie x Royal King), one of the best of her generation, was the 1984 NCHA Super Stakes Open Co-Reserve Champion who retired with career earnings of $381,764. She is No. 1 on the Equi-Stat All-Time Leading Cutting Dams chart with offspring earnings of $2,614,289. Her leading money-winner is Red White And Boon ($922,063), who is cutting’s all-time leading earner.

An added note: Boon Bar and Doc’s Haida are full brother and sister, giving the pedigree of Mecom Blue inbreeding to these collateral relatives.

Quiolena (CD Olena x Quixotes Pretty Lady x Doc Quixote) was the 1999 Non-Pro Co-Champion at The Mane Event. Her lifetime earnings are $15,537. Quiolena’s foals have banked $785,142. After Quintan Blue, her second-leading money-winner is Mecom Bay Roan ($94,578).

Equi-Stat Elite $17 Million Sire CD Olena (Doc O’Lena x CD Chica San Badger x Peppy San Badger) was the 1994 NCHA Futurity Open Champion and the 1995 NCHA Derby Open Champion. His leading money-winner is Sister CD ($852,612), the second-richest cutting horse in history.

Quixotes Pretty Lady (Doc Quixote x Special Acres x Bob Acre Doc) was the 1995 NCHA Derby Non-Pro Champion. She is the dam of foals with earnings of $210,822, including Hes A Special Rey ($100,779). This female line continues with Special Acres, who is out of the Doc’s Prescription mare Special Medicine ($6,662). Special Medicine’s offspring have accumulated $101,261 and include Justa Swinging Peppy ($70,886).

Click here to return to the QHN Insider Current Edition